Thoughts on everyday life and inspiring others to contribute to life in a positive way.

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Friday, March 15, 2013

Choose To Go From Here

This past
weekend, I watched a very moving and terrific movie with my family, The
Perks Of Being A Wallflower.I can
tell it did a number on me because I keep coming back to the characters and the
plotline.

There was a line
from that movie that hit me: “We cannot choose from where we come from, but we
can choose where we go from here”. A lot
is said in that one line and if you’re open to it, it can mean several
different things to whoever reads it.

In previous
posts, I talked about my life growing up.I came from an emotionally abusive home.Were it not for my dad and my sisters and brothers . . .We were there for each other.We cared about one another.When one hurt, there was someone to help treat
the emotional wounds, to encourage, to help, to hold, to soften and temper the
hurt.It was tough, but we made it.

I also wouldn’t
have traded that life for any other.It
made me who I am.I think that’s why I
gravitated to psychology and the behavioral sciences, teaching, and coaching
and eventually, counseling.I think that’s
why as an administrator, I spend so much time and capital on
relationships.

But I’ve also
moved on.I’m not the same scared and
scarred little boy I once was.I might
carry the scars with me, but they remind me of where I’ve come from, how much I’ve
grown, and just as importantly, remind me to try and deal with people- whomever
they are- respectfully with care and compassion and kindness.

“We cannot
choose from where we come from, but we can choose where we go from here.”

That’s a
powerful statement, an uplifting statement, and a statement of hope.You see, we do have a choice.We don’t need to continue to do things as we
have always done them.We don’t need to
treat people as we’ve always treated them.And, we don’t need to be treated as we’ve always been treated.We can choose to be kind.We can choose to be compassionate.We can choose to care.We can step out of an abusive relationship
because we don’t need to be abused.We
deserve more.Really!

Remembering
where we came from will guide us to where we want to go.It is a choice either way.We can stay where we’ve been or we can Choose
Where To Go From Here!